Gallium nitride based devices are typically epitaxially grown on sapphire substrates. The growth of gallium nitride based devices on a sapphire substrate is a heteroepitaxial growth process since the substrate and the epitaxial layers are composed of different materials. Due to the heteroepitaxial growth process, the epitaxially grown material can exhibit a variety of adverse effects, including reduced uniformity and reductions in metrics associated with the electronic and mechanical properties of the epitaxial layers. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for improved methods and systems related to epitaxial growth processes and substrate structures.